Open SeasonReview

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Oh no! Another game starring cute animals? No wait, this one is actually decent!

By Jack DeVries

Seeing another animated kiddie movie come out in theaters means one thing for us: another license kids game to review. Normally the idea fills us with apprehension, as kid movie games, especially on the Game Boy Advance, have a nasty tendency to, well, suck. However, Ubisoft Montreal has created a game that is both charming and fun for all ages, and despite its shortcomings, Open Season is a good guide for how to do these games right.

Players take control of Boog, a pampered, tame bear that has been exiled to the woods after raiding a convenience store. Boog's arrival into the woods is also the start of hunting season and so together with his deformed deer friend Elliot, Boog must fight his way through the forest, fending off hunters and malevolent woodland critters. The story is told through the obligatory text box cut scenes. Each character has a large assortment of expressions, and they cycle through them regularly, making the cutscenes feel more like a conversation, than a puppet show. It's nice that the game starts from the beginning of the story, instead of dropping the player in the middle, like movie games tend to do.

Boog's travels are not easy, as the forest is divided into gang territory like levels. Rabbits, beavers, ducks, skunks, and squirrels all have their own turf and they'll tackle, bite, spray, swoop down on, and throw nuts at Boog if he invades it. When players start out they're armed with some gumballs and Boog's teddybear backpack, Dinkleman. As they progress through the level players will earn the respect of the animals, and actually acquire them as living ammo. Each animal has their own style of killing humans, and has both a projectile attack and a melee attack. The wide range of weapon choices offers a variety of ways to beat regular bad guys and bosses, and there's something really cool about hurling a rabbit at some lumberjack's face and knocking him flat on his butt. Players can also upgrade their weapons at various points in the level, making them stronger or faster. Boog's other skills, like climbing and roaring can also be upgraded in exchange for candy bars player's collect all through the litter speckled forest.

The upgrades are great, except if players are guiding Boog through the easy mode of the game, the upgrades become entirely unnecessary. In easy mode, everything dies in one hit. A quick swing of Boog's stuffed animal backpack will take out a small squirrel, or a machete wielding lumberjack that screams like he's an extra from Braveheart. In fact, the entire easy mode is just too simple to be of any fun to players over the age of 10. It is a nice mode to have for young kids that really like the movie, but not might be old enough to fully appreciate a harder game. By giving them a toned down version of the game, with a lot more health pickups, and way more extra lives than is necessary, Ubisoft has ensured that their game can be enjoyed by the entire age range of fans. Thankfully, Ubisoft allows players to select a hard mode right from the start, and this is really where the game shines. The upgrades become necessary if players want to progress through the game, and the less frequent health pickups means that Boog can't just charge into situations.

Since Open Season is a platformer title, it has the same staples of the genre that we all come to expect. Floating platforms and bottomless pits plague the forest. However, Boog does have a couple abilities, namely the ability to climb, and curl up into a ball and roll. So instead of a completely linear level, players will have to move back and forth, climbing up trees and cliff faces, or rolling through little tunnels. The levels are broken up into three sections, and at times, players can move up into different levels, then backtrack into previous sections to get to new areas. The exploration aspect keeps the game from becoming just another stale platformer. It would have been nice if the harder version had slightly more difficult levels, instead of just harder bad guys, but it doesn't detract from the experience.

A lot of the charm of the game comes from the character animations, so it's a shame that the quality of them is so mixed. Boog is actually fun to watch, his expression changing as he traverses the land. He looks frightened when he's jumping over things, and the Looney Tunes style stars over his head when he gets knocked out is cute. There's also an enemy that shoots tranquilizer darts and if Boog gets hit, the screen starts to get pixilated, and the music slows, giving players the feeling of getting injected with sedatives, though apparently not enough to take down a bear armed with a backpack. When it comes to the animals and hunters, about half of them are well animated, and the other half are pretty barebones. The squirrels will scamper around, climbing over things when Boog releases them, but the Skunks just bounce and plop down lifelessly (before exploding). Likewise, some of the hunters have more complex animations, like getting scared and jumping towards the screen, while others will just fall off the level. It looks weird to have the unbalanced character animations, especially since most of the hunters are just the same sprite set recolored and mildly tweaked. Shotgun hunter is rifle hunter with a yellow shirt, and dynamite woodsman is the axe throwing woodsman with a red shirt. In a game that has a lot of charming characters, some really solid character animation, and is filled with gorgeous backgrounds and vibrant colors, the barebones hunters stick out like a sore thumb.

We're not sure, what sounds squirrels actually make when they're pelted with gumballs, but in Open Season, they yelp in Scottish accents. All the animals make odd little noises in what we can only assume are the sounds similar to the ones in the movie. The hunters all make generic "Ah!" sounds when they meet their end by the paw of Boog. The music in the game is pleasant enough, and has a woodsy feel to it, but the songs are very short, so they loop over and over. It gets a little grating, but as soon as it becomes annoying, the level is over and there's a new song.

The Verdict

Open Season isn't a perfect game by any means. It has some lazy animations in it, and the music is far from great, but the game has an undeniable charm. The game is filled with a lot of cute, and fun characters, and the story is well told through some nicer than usual cutscenes. For players that liked the movie, or always wanted to beat up ducks, rabbits, and humans all in one package, check out Open Season. Just make sure to play it on hard mode.

7.5PresentationThis game actually has a plot that is clearly laid out, instead of just assuming players saw the movie and will know what's going on. The menus clash somewhat with the woodsy feel of the game.

7GraphicsBoog shakes his big bear butt and looks great doing it. Most of the hunters on the other hand are very generic.

6.5SoundThe music is nice enough, but it's repetitive. The animals all make weird noise, though the Scottish squirrels are funny.

8GameplayThe two difficulty modes are a nice touch for different age groups. The non linear levels make the game more fun than a normal platformer.

6Lasting AppealTwo modes offers more playtime for the game, but probably only for the younger crowd that beats easy and still wants more.